Page 226 of Dark Love

No Safe Choices

Vex

“We need more information.” There isn’t a single approach we can make without risking lives. “We need to know everything about those previous cases.”

“That’s a lot of information. It could take weeks… months maybe for me to get it all without a trace. Unless…” Shock closes the laptop.

Don’t say it. Don’t say it.

“…you can get me access to Vincenti’s tech again.”

No.

Payne turns from where he’s staring down at the club. “Every person opens us up for a leak. If it’s the government, we can’t afford a single slip-up.”

“It could just be a wacko.”

Shock is grasping at straws, and we all know it. The chances that this is a wacko that hunts odd twins are slim. But it’s still a possibility. At this moment, it could be anyone for all we know. “There are too many variables. We need more information.”

“We can trust Vincenti, but he has a huge family. That’s a big ask.”

“It’s Barb,” Shock says what we’re all thinking.

Barb is one of us.

“It would just be simpler to get Barb some cosmetic surgery and a new identity,” Payne spitballs an idea.

“You’re not touching her face.” Shock almost leaps at him.

Touchy much? “We aren’t playing games here, Shock. You and I can’t take on the government.”

“We don’t know it was the government.”

He’s right. “We need more information.”

“Get me Vincenti’s tech again.”

This isn’t a risk I can ask of Vincenti. “Fine. I’ll make some arrangements. But I’ll need my phone to do it.”

“You have to be careful about what you say.”

I raise an eyebrow at Shock. “While I do that, I want you to check all the other DNA registries around the world.”

“On it.” Shock takes apart all the fun little gadgets he set up to ensure our privacy and hands back each of our phones before leaving.

“My idea makes the most sense,” Payne says as soon as the door shuts behind Shock.

“It’s certainly the safest play for Barb. But she isn’t the only person at risk. How many more people might die if we protect her and turn our heads on the problem?” And that’s the worry settling in my gut.

“We’ve already got more than we can handle.”

Payne is right. I know he’s right. “Can we just leave those people to die?”

“People die every day. It isn’t our responsibility to save them all.”

Can I ignore it? “We save Barb and pretend the rest don’t exist.”

“That doesn’t sound right.”

---